I worked on Electronics for these.....

[Smitty37]

After 45 years of service, the Navy EA-6B Prowler has made its final flight.
The aircraft was retired last week with a three-day commemoration at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington.
The aircraft made its first flight May 25, 1968, went operational in July 1971 and made its first deployment, to Southeast Asia, in 1972, according to the Navy. It has seen action in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, supported NATO operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Yugoslavia and enforced no-fly zones around Iraq.

When I transferred from the Commercial side of IBM to the Federal Systems side in late 1967 this was one of the first programs I worked on. A second was the F111 Aardvark which was retired from the US Forces in the 1990s but stayed in service in the Australian AF until 2010. The F111 had Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) rates that were next to impossible to meet at the time - we put a lot of long hours in getting the computers out the door for that one.

 

[alphageek]

Thats kinda crazy/amazing... Sometimes its hard to understand how they keep some of these planes flying for as long as they do. I know that many of these have been replaced by the EA-18, but its still amazing to me that they made only 170 of the EA-6Bs and the last one was built in 91. That means that the youngest of the airframes is almost 25 years old!!

Cool that you got involved with them... I've done a lot of software and electronics, but nothing as "concrete" that I can point to as military aircraft.

 

[slincoln]

We live on Whidbey and attended the ceremony.

 

[slincoln]

Another shot

 

[alphageek]

Another shot

Nice! So.. Air Force hat - are you a vet, a parent, or just a fan?

 

[slincoln]

A Vet - and a fan.

 

[Smitty37]

Thats kinda crazy/amazing... Sometimes its hard to understand how they keep some of these planes flying for as long as they do. I know that many of these have been replaced by the EA-18, but its still amazing to me that they made only 170 of the EA-6Bs and the last one was built in 91. That means that the youngest of the airframes is almost 25 years old!!

Cool that you got involved with them... I've done a lot of software and electronics, but nothing as "concrete" that I can point to as military aircraft.

I also worked on the IBM AP-101 Computer which was used on the B1B Lancer, B-52 Stratofortress and the Space Shuttle. In addition to those I worked on the Original Computer used in the Boeing E3A AWACS (a.k.a Sentry) and I worked on some electronics in the B-2 Spirit

There was also some work on the Apollo Space programs that I was involved with Owego built the computer for the Saturn V rockets that lifted them off and also some of the electronics on board. Lots of interesting work in my 32 years with IBM.

When IBM started the System 360 program which propelled them to the top of the heap in computers - I worked on the first unit shipped to a non-IBM (the first few units were shipped internally to allow IBM Programmers to work on the operating systems etc.) customer in mid 1965.

I had an interesting career. I got most of my ideas regarding quality control working on manned flight computer systems for aircraft...which had very high quality specifications and demanded proof that your product met or exceeded them.

 

[Smitty37]

We live on Whidbey and attended the ceremony.

Cool that must have been great.

 

[tbroye]

Just think there are B-52 crewmen who are flying the same plane their grandfathers and fathers flew.

 

[oneleggimp]

I learned computer programming writing programs for the 360 system. COBOL PL1, Fortran IV, Easycoder.

 

[Smitty37]

I learned computer programming writing programs for the 360 system. COBOL PL1, Fortran IV, Easycoder.

I used a lot of programs written written in any number of languages but they were compiled by the time I saw them. Any programming I had to do on System 360 I did in machine language. I was a Test Technician/Engineering Test Technician when I worked on them, worked often with programmers debugging their code, particularily programmers writing diagnostics for main frames or I/O.

 

[sbwertz]

You want to talk about an OLD plane that worked well into obsolescence, look at the Goony Bird. The AC 47. It was mounted with GE miniguns and used in Vietnam in the sixties as a gunship. The old DC3 made it's mark in modern warfare!

 

[jttheclockman]

You want to talk about an OLD plane that worked well into obsolescence, look at the Goony Bird. The AC 47. It was mounted with GE miniguns and used in Vietnam in the sixties as a gunship. The old DC3 made it's mark in modern warfare!

Hello Sharon, have to ask is everything OK with you. Just inquisitive. I know we all are going through many different scenarios in our lives these days with this pandemic thing. Not sure how your blind club is coping but hope things get back to somewhat normal soon. Hope all is well.

 

[sbwertz]

They plan to reopen in August. I've had some health problems....Atrial flutter...a type of AFib, sleep apnea, and now gout! Getting old isn't for sissies. I'm really looking forward to the blind center re opening. I've missed that so much. My Dr. really grounded me because of the immunosuppressants I take, so I haven't done much of anything for a year. I'm working on a new cookbook, but that is about it.

 

[jttheclockman]

Glad to read you are hanging in there. That is about what we all can do. Having some health issues myself. Finally got my second shot this past week. Now my knee went out on me today, so will be going to doctor to see what can be done. Take it slow and be safe.

 

[sbwertz]

Glad to read you are hanging in there. That is about what we all can do. Having some health issues myself. Finally got my second shot this past week. Now my knee went out on me today, so will be going to doctor to see what can be done. Take it slow and be safe.

That was what happened to me...I woke up with a hot, swollen knee....couldn't put weight on it without it buckling under me. In 12 hours or so, it was a lot better and I could get around with a cane the next day. By the third day it was completely gone! Gout!

 

[jttheclockman]

That was what happened to me...I woke up with a hot, swollen knee....couldn't put weight on it without it buckling under me. In 12 hours or so, it was a lot better and I could get around with a cane the next day. By the third day it was completely gone! Gout!

Mine is arthritis. Went to doctors today and xrays show bone on bone and she was wondering why it has not hurt much more than this. I know what is in my future but will hold off if I can.

 

[howsitwork]

My mum has had both knees replaced and it made a world of difference. Feel sorry for the people at the airport who she tells she has metal knees but still insist they won't set off the scanner. Then she gets hand searched when they do and the hand detectors say metal knee

 

[sbwertz]

I was just out rearranging the shop because that is the best route to bring in the new refrigerator...We have a granite yard and it is very hard to bring anything heavy across the rock on a dolly without it bogging down. So they are bringing it through the shop to the back patio. I don't know what I did, but I pivoted on my right foot and there was a pop from my knee, intense pain for about a minute and I couldn't move. Then the pain eased and I hobbled into the house to the recliner and my husband brought me an ice pack. After about 15 minutes, I was able to get up and walk without pain! No idea what that was, but I'm being very cautious with the knee finishing the work in the shop. My husband has severe spinal stenosis, so not much he can do to help...he just manages to get in and out of bed and the recliner on his own at this point.

 

[TellicoTurning]

Not having trouble with the knees, although I don't jump up from a chair as easily as I used to... I'm beginning to have some pain in the right shoulder. I had a bout of bursitis in that shoulder some years back when I was a lot younger... I backed my sports car out of the garage to clean it, then it wouldn't start to put it back, so I just backed up to it, lifted the rear end and pushed it back into the garage... next morning my coffee cup weighed at least 80 lbs... required both hands to lift it.... after a week it went away. Now periodically it will still get sore -- it's been at least 35 years since that incident, but still get to a point I have trouble moving the shoulder to even put a shirt on.
Wood turning bowls and pepper mills doesn't help it much.